Make a joyful noise!

Many times in the Bible, God tells us to celebrate and to sing and be happy. Even in the stodgy books like Deuteronomy, it commands us to celebrate:

You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns. For seven days you shall keep the feast to the Lord your God at the place that the Lord will choose, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful. (Deuteronomy 16:14-15, ESV)

Then there’s the two places in Psalms (98:4 and 100:1) that gave title to this post:

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing! (Psalms 100:1, ESV)

Even the angels have a party when the time is right:

Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10, ESV)

Three of my six children are now out of the house – and it gets quiet at times … really quiet. When they come home and their friends come over, it gets very “joyful” (noisy) at times — but it is great to hear them enjoying themselves. We host the weekly Bible Study for the Awana Journey group (High School age) — and we usually have several graduates of the program (college age) come as well … and it gets quite “joyful” for a while then, too.

While sometimes I like to enjoy some peace and quiet, there is nothing so pleasing to my heart than to hear people enjoying themselves in my house.